Vin de Constance, Klein Constantia (50 cl) - 2013

With over 320 years of history, Constance wine is without doubt the greatest sweet wine of the southern hemisphere. It made the greatest dreamers, from Napoleon Bonaparte to Baudelaire, including Queen Marie-Antoinette, Louis XVI, Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, George Washington, Nelson Mandela, etc. It has also been served at Buckingham Palace, in some of the world's greatest houses and at some of the most prestigious dinners in history. Produced near the city of Cape Town, it is named after the wife of Governor Simon Van der Stel, the founder of the estate and the inspiration behind the country's wine history. Today it is the pride of Czech businessman Zdenek Bakala and English banker Charles Harman, who bought it in 2011. Their partners include two figures from the wine world: Hubert de Boüard de Laforest (L'Angélus) and Bruno Prats (Chriseya). 

The vines of Muscat de Frontignan, the ultimate grape variety and master of Constance wine, are spread over 16.5 hectares on the slopes of the Constantiaberg mountain. The 600 million year old granite soil, with a high clay content, ensures good irrigation and water retention, and thus a good performance of the vines during hot and dry summers. Located between 35 and 400 m above sea level, the estate is caressed by a constant sea breeze. The vines benefit from a south-east orientation and an oceanic...